Discovery Sport
The Land Rover Discovery Sport (codename L550) is a compact sport utility vehicle produced by British manufacturer Land Rover. The Discovery Sport replaces the Land Rover Freelander (sold as the LR2 in North America) in a revised Land Rover range of vehicles with Discovery joining Range Rover as a sub-brand. The new Discovery sub-brand, to be focused on leisure vehicles, will feature two models initially, the compact Discovery Sport and the larger Discovery (sold as the LR4 in North America). The future design direction of the Discovery sub-brand was initially previewed in the form of the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept, shown at the 2014 New York International Auto Show, and it was during the show that Gerry McGovern announced the Land Rover Discovery Sport would be the first new model in the enlarged Discovery family. The Discovery Sport is based on the Land Rover LR-MS platform, a heavily modified variant of the Ford EUCD platform customised for off-road applications, and will be powered by a range of four cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The Discovery Sport will be available in five and seven seat layouts, reflecting the desire for Discovery models to appeal to family buyers. The Discovery Sport represents the third generation of compact SUV produced by Land Rover. The first generation, the Land Rover Freelander, was introduced by Land Rover in 1997, following a study that revealed market demand for an SUV smaller than the Discovery and Range Rover models. The original Freelander was developed during the period when Land Rover formed part of the Rover Group, and used engines, transmissions and other components from other Rover Group models, including the Rover K-series engine. The Freelander 2 model (sold as the LR2 in North America) was introduced in 2006, during Ford's ownership of Land Rover. The second generation Freelander was built on the Ford EUCD platform, using a Ford Duratorq four cylinder diesel engine, and initially, the Volvo B6324S six cylinder petrol engine. The six cylinder petrol engine was replaced for the 2013 model year by a more economical Ford EcoBoost four cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The Ford petrol and diesel four cylinder engines will be carried over for the Discovery Sport's first model year. The Discovery sub-brand was introduced during early 2014, with confirmation the replacement for the second generation Land Rover Freelander would be branded as the Discovery Sport worldwide. The design direction for the Discovery family was previewed at the 2014 New York International Auto Show, with Land Rover showing their Discovery Vision concept vehicle. The sub-brand will be used in the same way as Range Rover, but will be used on leisure and family orientated models, with Range Rover models focusing on the luxury market segment. It is expected the Discovery brand will expand to include three models, a full size SUV, a compact SUV and a sub-compact or crossover SUV. The Discovery Sport shares several design cues with the larger Discovery Vision concept, though the concept vehicle is closer in size to the current Discovery model. The Discovery Sport went on sale during September 2014, with first deliveries expected in early 2015. The Discovery Sport will be powered by the same engine range that features in the outgoing Freelander 2 model for the first model year, the Ford EcoBoost four cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 243 PS (179 kW; 240 hp) (the only engine option for North America) and the Ford Duratorq four cylinder 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine, producing either 150 PS (110 kW; 150 hp) or 190 PS (140 kW; 190 hp) (the only engine option for Europe). The engines sourced from Ford will be replaced by engines from Jaguar Land Rover's new Ingenium engine line starting in late 2015. The Ingenium family is a range of modular four cylinder turbocharged engines of 2.0-litre capacity, built around individual 500cc cylinders. The family is produced in both petrol and diesel variants, and could also be produced in 3, 5 and 6 cylinder options in future, depending on demand and requirements.11 The range was designed from the outset to accommodate different hybrid power systems, and it is expected that there will be a plug-in hybrid variant. The Ingenium engine range can be configured to deliver different power outputs, and it is expected that the most fuel efficient Discovery Sport eD4 model will be powered by a 150 PS (110 kW; 150 hp) 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged diesel engine in a front wheel drive only configuration. This model is planned to have CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and fuel economy of upto 24.2 km/L (68 mpg-imp, 57 mpg-US). The engines in the Discovery Sport are mounted transversely, which creates additional interior space. The Discovery Sport will be manufactured with either a 9–speed ZF 9-HP automatic gearbox or a 6–speed ''Getrag M66EH50 ''manual gearbox, both of which are available on the Range Rover Evoque. Two different all wheel drive systems are available, the standard system being the Haldex Traction fifth generation system from BorgWarner, with the new Land Rover Active Driveline all wheel drive system being an option. The Land Rover Active Driveline system is manufactured by GKN Driveline and reduces parasitic loss by 75% when compared with the Haldex system in an effort to increase economy and reduce CO2 emissions. The Active Driveline system works by disconnecting all of the major all wheel drive components from the gearbox, rather than at the central coupling. The system also features torque vectoring to direct power to individual wheels. There is no low range transfer box with either all wheel drive system, to counter this limitation, the ZF 9-HP features a special very low ratio first gear which is only used when the vehicle is off-road or otherwise needed, for on-road use, the vehicle will normally start in second gear. The Discovery Sport will also be available in a two wheel drive version, in this model, the front wheels are driven. The Terrain Response System, which configures the vehicle for off-road use, is deleted. This version will be the most fuel efficient and least polluting model in the range, and together with the more fuel efficient Jaguar XE models, will assist Jaguar Land Rover in meeting European Union emissions directives for their overall vehicle range. The Discovery Sport was styled by Gerry McGovern, who was responsible for the design of the original Freelander model. McGovern left Land Rover for Ford in 1999, before returning as Director of Advanced Design in 2004. He was promoted to Design Director when Geoff Upex retired in 2006, and has been responsible for design of all three current Range Rover models. His predecessor, Upex, was responsible for the Freelander 2 design. The Discovery Sport features a steel monocoque, the bonnet, wings, roof and tailgate are made from aluminium and a panoramic glass sunroof is available as an optional extra. A powered tailgate can also be specified as an option, featuring remote control operation. The bonnet is fitted with an airbag to improve pedestrian survivability in the event of a collision, the airbag is mounted in a panel at the trailing edge of the bonnet panel and protects a pedestrian's head from striking the base of the windscreen. The Discovery Sport is of unibody construction, unlike the larger full size Discovery model which features a traditional body-on-frame. The platform used for the Discovery Sport is the Land Rover LR-MS platform, shared with the Range Rover Evoque and derived from the Ford EUCD platform, but with 90% of components redesigned from scratch to meet Land Rover's specific demands, primarily related to off-road use. The Discovery Sport includes further changes to the platform in comparison with the Evoque, with a new compact multi-link suspension design to permit the folding rear seats and spare wheel well in the boot space, without requiring an unduly high and impractical load floor. The front suspension is a MacPherson strut design carried over from the Range Rover Evoque largely unchanged, and features steel lower and aluminium upper control arms. Off-road performance remains broadly similar to the Freelander 2 model, ground clearance is 212 millimetres (8.3 in), the same as the Freelander 2 and wading depth is 600 millimetres (2.0 ft), an improvement of 100 millimetres (3.9 in). The approach angle for the Discovery Sport is 25° and the ramp angle is 21°, reductions of 6° and 2° respectively, when compared to the Freelander 2. The departure angle remains unchanged at 31°. The Discovery Sport features removable components on the lower sections of the front bumper which improves the approach angle. The braking system comprises disc brakes all round, with 325 millimetres (12.8 in) discs at the front and 300 millimetres (12 in) at the rear, the brakes are servo assisted and an anti-lock braking system (ABS) is fitted. The braking system also features an emergency brake force assistance system to reduce stopping distances in an emergency, stability aides, and an autonomous emergency braking system, all of which are necessary for the Discovery Sport to be eligible for a five star Euro NCAP safety rating when it is tested. The Discovery Sport will initially be sold with alloy wheels ranging from 18 inches (460 mm) to 20 inches (510 mm) in diameter, and will be supplied with a space saver spare wheel, mounted internally, under the floor of the trunk. Electric power steering is fitted, with 2.43 turns lock to lock and a turning circle of 11.86 metres (38.9 ft). The electric power steering system allows the Discovery Sport to feature an automatic parking system. The interior of the Discovery Sport is available in two configurations, a five seat and a seven seat (referred to as five plus two) configuration, with the front row featuring two seats and three seats on the second row. The second row seats slide and recline, and fold in a 60:40 configuration, folding forward to allow access to a third row of two seats where fitted. The third row of seats are not intended for full time usage, and are described by Land Rover as being suitable for children upto the age of 15 and occasional adult use. They fold flat into the floor of the trunk when not in use.Isofix mounting points for child safety seats are fitted as standard. The central console features an 8 inches (20 cm) touch screen allowing access to in car entertainment, satellite navigationand vehicle settings. The system, shared with the Jaguar XE will allow smartphone connectivity and some models will allow the owner to control the vehicle remotely, pre-heating the interior or unlocking the car using a smartphone application. The Discovery Sport will be manufactured at the Jaguar Land Rover Halewood Body & Assembly facility, in Halewood, Liverpool, United Kingdom, alongside the Range Rover Evoque. Engines supplied by Ford are manufactured at two sites - the Duratorq diesel engine is manufactured at the Ford Dagenham plant in the United Kingdom, the Ecoboost petrol engine is manufactured at the Ford Valencia Plant in Spain. The Jaguar Land Rover Ingenium engines, which will replace the Ford sourced engines later in 2015, will be manufactured at Jaguar Land Rover's Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Transmissions for the Discovery Sport will be manufactured by ZF at their Gray Court, South Carolina facility, and by Getrag Ford Transmissions at their Cologne, Germany plant. Four wheel drive components are manufactured by Haldex in Landskrona, Sweden or by GKN in Köping, Sweden and Birmingham, United Kingdom. See Also: Discovery (Land Rover), Discovery 2 (Land Rover), Discovery 3 (Land Rover), Discovery 4 (Land Rover), Freelander (Land Rover), Freelander 2 (Land Rover), Range Rover Sport (Land Rover).